Sydney O'Shay Communication Assistant Professor, REACH Lab Primary Investigator PhD - Wayne State University<br />Graduate Certificate in Public Health - Wayne State University School of Medicine<br />MA - Eastern Michigan University<br />BA - University of Michigan-Flint<br /> Logan (MAIN 202H) sydney.oshay@usu.edu Thursdays 12 pm - 1 pm https://profile.usu.edu/communication/communication-studies/images/faculty/sydney-oshay-2022.jpg /communication/communication-studies/directory/cvs/oshay-sydney-cv.pdf Sydney O’Shay is an assistant professor of communication studies (PhD, Wayne State University, 2021) and the Primary Investigator of the REACH Lab. Her research broadly focuses on the construction of stigma communication in healthcare and family contexts. More specifically, Sydney is interested in understanding and mitigating the impact of substance use on families. Her research team is currently collecting pilot data that aims to identify resource and support gaps experienced by families that are impacted by substance use. This pilot data will inform the development of an mhealth intervention that seeks to fill these gaps. Sydney is also currently investigating the stigma management and support experiences of family members who have a loved one with an opioid use disorder. Her work has been recognized with the Inclusive Scholarship Award (2022) from the Health Communication Interest Group of the Central States Communication Association (CSCA). She was also recently awarded the 2025 Pearson Nelson Outstanding New Teacher Award by CSCA. Her work has been published in journals such as Health Communication, Scientific Reports – Nature, the Journal of Family Communication, Substance Use & Misuse, the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Communication Studies, among others.